Welcome to The Firefighter’s Twins Blog Tour and giveaway, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

I’m excited to bring you an only seen here guest post from Heidi, so scroll down to read!

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ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Firefighter’s Twins
Author: Heidi McCahan
Publisher: Love Inspired
Release Date: June 1, 2018
Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Romance

One single dad plus twin toddlers

A formula for her new family?

Since his wife left, fireman Shay Campbell has focused on work and his twin toddlers. But the lovely Natalie McDowell is making him rethink that decision.

She’s great with his boys, and they adore her. But he can’t go through losing someone again. Will a dream job offer win Natalie’s heart, or does it belong to Shay and the twins?

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | CBD | Book Depository | Harlequin

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GUEST POST FROM HEIDI

7 Reasons Why Readers Love Animals in Fiction

As an author who wants to earn a living writing novels, I try to pay attention to readers’ preferences. While reading is a rather subjective experience, and no one knows for certain what will be the next best-seller, when it comes to animals in books, I feel it is safe to say that readers consistently LOVE an adorable four-legged secondary character.

I won’t bore you with scientific data or market research to support my theory (mainly because I don’t have any). Although I did do a tiny bit of web surfing, which revealed that dogs have maintained a long run of popularity in print media for decades. Supposedly in 1938, George Stevens, the editor of the Saturday Review stated, “Since people love to read books about Abraham Lincoln, and people love to read books about doctors, and people love to read books about dogs, then the best-selling book of all time ought to be a book called Lincoln’s Doctor’s Dog.”

In other words, it is difficult to chase a trend in publishing, but it doesn’t stop us from trying. We write books about animals because we are confident there’s a buying audience out there.

Here is my somewhat light-hearted, entirely subjective list of reasons why I believe this is true. And since I have a goat on the cover of my new novel, I feel that gives me some credibility, as well.

1. Animals combined with children equals a double-dose of cuteness that many find irresistible.
2. Oxytocin, anyone? Who hasn’t experienced the warm fuzzy feeling from petting a cute animal? I know, I know, I said no research…but science has proven that there is a positive physiological response when we interact with animals. I think reading about animals might also provoke a similar response.
3. Vulnerability: characters often tell animals things they wouldn’t say out loud, giving readers a glimpse of a character’s deeper feelings.
4. When we see animals on a book cover, it reminds us of less complicated seasons in our lives.
5. Animals featured in books provoke fond memories of our own personal experiences with pets.
6. Weaving a beloved animal (often a dog) into a plot can make a fictional character more appealing to readers.
7. Friendly animals often attract humans, even fictional humans, which provides an opportunity for the characters to engage. In my new release, The Firefighter’s Twins, the hero and heroine often interact because the heroine’s family owns a venue where the hero’s twins love to play. When the hero takes his sons to pet the goats, it attracts the attention of the heroine and her sisters, which leads to meaningful conversation and…well, you’ll just have to read the book to see what happens next.

Reference:

Engber, Daniel. Why Are Dogs Popular in Books, and Cats on the Internet?

Slate Magazine, April 2013.

Montgomery, Sy. Psychological Effects of Pets are Profound. Boston Globe, January 12, 2015.

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MY REVIEW

I enjoyed Heidi’s latest and the world she created on the farm. I haven’t read many books with firefighters, but I liked getting to know a bit more about their world, without having the story get absorbed in details about firefighting. While I did like Natalie and Shay (and the twins!), I think my favorite character is the fire chief. He makes a few brief appearances, but I appreciate how he cares for his men beyond the job.

Overall, it’s a lighter read of the quality expected with a Love Inspired author. I hope to get to know some of the other characters better in future stories.

I received a complementary copy of this story for review. All opinions are honest and my own.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Heidi McCahan is the author of Covering Home, Unraveled, and Love Flies In. She is also an active RWA member and currently serves as secretary of the North Carolina chapter of ACFW. Heidi won the 2014 Idahope contest, and was a 2015 finalist in Harlequin’s Blurb 2 Book contest. A Pacific Northwest girl at heart, she was transplanted in the South several years ago, and currently lives in North Carolina with her husband and three boys. Heidi is a huge fan of coffee, dark chocolate, and happily ever after, and can often be found enjoying a good cup of coffee and a great book. The Firefighter’s Twins, her first novel with Harlequin Love Inspired, is available now.

CONNECT: website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google+ | Newsletter

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(photo by Heidi McCahan)

Heidi McCahan has put together a FABULOUS giveaway for readers! One winner (US only) will receive:

Magnolia Market tote bag
Hearth & Hand Magnolia Notepad + tell your story pencil
4 magnetic bookmarks
$25 Amazon Gift Card
Gratitude journal + lists notebook
weekly planning pad
Things I Never Told You by Beth K. Vogt
Falling for You by Becky Wade
The Firefighter’s Twins by Heidi McCahan

Giveaway will run from midnight June 1, 2018 through 11:59pm June 11, 2018. It is subject to the policies found here.

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Follow along with the tour for more chances to win! Grab the schedule at JustRead!